The small lakeside town of Washington Park in Wisconsin will hold a vote on Tuesday on a ballot initiative concerning the development of a data center. This local referendum, centered around data center expansion, could become a significant indicator of grassroots opposition to artificial intelligence infrastructure projects across the United States. According to reports, this may be the first time a U.S. local government uses a direct popular vote to attempt to restrict the growth of data centers. If passed, the referendum would not halt the $1.5 billion, 1.3-gigawatt "Stargate" data center complex—backed by OpenAI and Oracle with support from Donald Trump—but it would require the city to obtain voter approval before granting tax incentives to developers in the future, thereby opening a formal channel for residents to block similar projects. Industry groups have warned that if such practices spread, they could have profound implications for America's economic competitiveness and national security. The vote also underscores how midwestern regions across the U.S. are increasingly becoming new front lines for tech giants expanding AI data centers, while simultaneously triggering stronger local resistance. According to a recent Politico poll, about one in three American voters oppose building such facilities near their communities, and at least three other cities are preparing to launch similar referendums this year.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861879980003531/
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